James Duggar Seemingly Shades Sister Jill in Jim Bob Father’s Day Post: ‘Best Dad’

Taking shots? James Duggar seemingly shaded sister Jill Duggar after sharing a Father’s Day post dedicated to family patriarch, Jim Bob Duggar, who he called the “best dad.” 

“Happy Father’s Day to the man who has always been my biggest supporter,” James, 21, wrote via Instagram alongside a carousel of memories with his father on Sunday, June 18. “I am grateful to call you my dad, and I’m proud to be your child.”

The 19 Kids & Counting alum went on to emphasize that “regardless of what anyone may say, you’re the best dad in the world.” 

The seventh son of Jim Bob, 57, and his wife, Michelle Duggar, is seemingly shading his older sister, 32, following her participation in the Prime Video docuseries Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. The limited series, which debuted on June 1, took a deeper look into the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), the strict religion the famous family follows. Jill, alongside her husband, Derick Dillard, and their cousin, Amy King, were the only Duggar family members to participate. 

Throughout the docuseries, Jill dropped major bombshells about Jim Bob’s “control” over the large brood and how she and her husband were “tricked” into signing a contract with TLC in 2014. 

“My dad does control a lot of things in the family,” Jill said in episode four of the series. “Family relationships were already kinda rocky … Everything within the family dynamic has shifted, and not for the better.”

Derick added, “We’re very much on the outside with the family.” 

Hours after the streaming platform dropped the episodes, Jim Bob and Michelle, 56, made their stance clear after sharing a statement on their website regarding strained relationships with family members. 

“The recent ‘documentary’ that talks about our family is sad because in it we see the media and those with ill intentions hurting people we love … This ‘documentary’ paints so much and so many in a derogatory and sensationalized way because sadly that’s the direction of entertainment these days,” the couple wrote on June 1. “Through both the triumphs and the trials we have clung to our faith all the more and discovered that through the love and grace of Jesus, we find strength, comfort, and purpose.”

Days later, a source exclusively told In Touch that Jed Duggar and his wife, Katey Duggar (née Nakatsu) felt “betrayed” by Jill and Derick in the limited series. 

“Jill’s brother Jed and his wife Katey want nothing to do with her or Derick,” the insider explained on June 6, adding that he also has taken issue with Jill’s newly announced book, Counting the Cost, which is set to be released in September 2023. 

The tell-all book’s description promises that Jill and Derick will tell “the secrets, manipulation and intimidation behind the show that remained hidden from their fans.”